Artificial fishing bait



Aug. 7, 1945.

R. J. BALDESBERGER ARTIFICIAL FISHING BAIT Filed July 194s Mina 11. mm

[NQENTOR .ZZabertIBaldesbcryer Patented Aug. 7, 1945 muse aa-rmcm. memo-narr- Robert J. rim). Applieatien July :1, 1m. Serial No. new s cisim (01. 0-42) Hy invention relates to artificial fish bait, and consists in particular improvements in bait construction. The device of the invention approximates the appearance of a grass-i'rog, and as such aflords an excellent 'fish lure.

from the fact that the body portion thereof, that s p is. the portion which simulates a irogs body, comprises a. hollow shell of distinctcharacteristics. The hollow shell is substantially spherical. or ellipsoidal, in form. More particularly, the shell may be formed or two shell sections that are united with each other and with the fish-hook and the other essential elements or the bait structure, and it is by virtue of this that the shell of an English walnut may with advantage be used to form the said body portion or the device. The outer surface of the shell maybe coated in colors, more closely to approximate the appearance of a natural grass-frog, and as thus constituted the device provides-an exceptionally eiiective lure lor he a ture of fish, especially by trolling.

Inthe accompanying drawing, I

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a bait or lure embodying the invention;

1'18. 2 is aview of the device in perspective:

I"lg.3isasectionalviewoithelureonavertical,medial plane:

m. s is a view comparable with Fig.- 3, illustrating certain modifications in the structure of the device. Referring to the drawing the bait or lure oithe invention comprises a body I, an eye I for the Qattacbmentoiafishins line I. aneye I for the articular attachment of a fish-hook O, and two members I that extend diver-gently trim the body one on each side 0! the fish-hook. The body I the meeting edges or the shell elements provides likeness oi the mouth oi a frog. when the device is drawn through the Water, as it is when trolling io'rilsh, it isdesiredthatthedevice shall bepositioned with theleadingor pointed end of thebody An important advantage of my device arises I.

I slightly higher than the trailing end, from s which the fish-hoot O and leg members I extend, as shown in Fig. 3. It is to be noted, however, that the fish-hook will not extend vertically when the device is moving through the water, but will extend more nearly in horizontal position between the leg members l.

The members I are i'ormed oi strips of flexible material. such as sheet rubber or leather, and extend from the body in trailing position, with respect to tbedirection in which the bait is trolled through the water, and by virtue of their form and flexibility the leg members, under the drag imposed by the'water, are caused to oscillate or 0 undulate, and thereby to wabble the bait. The so moving .1 8 members not only operate as a bait wabbler, but also aiiord a'simulation or the legs of a swimming frog.

The body I is protected from the stresses pro- 5 duced when a fish strikes the bait and is caught,

and the means to this end comprise a tension element I, formed in this case or copper wire that so the attachment or the fishing line and hook, re-

spectively, areformed in the opposite ends of the wirel,andthusitis'thatthehookisineflect secured immediately to the fishing line, with the body 2 safeguarded from disruptive strain.

gs lnorderthatthebaitshaliremaininpr per is or a shape suggesting in certain aspects the body oi a grass-grog, and the members i approximate the appearance or the rear legs of the frog. In further apm' ximationoi the appearance oi a natural i'rog. the top of the shell is preferably mottled green and gold closely resembling the natural coloring of. a frog, and'th bottom white or light grey; and two black dots are painted-on in the positions shown, to represent the eyes or the creature. j

The body 1 is formed oi two elements In and to, which consist of the two halves of an English walnut shell. As appears in greater detail below,

the two shell elements are united edge to edge, by

position as it is drawn [through the water, the mass of th lower portion of the hollow body 2 is increased by means or a weight I or lead, locked in a closed and twisted bight in the wire I, and

so a filling ll oi a suitable cementltious material.

In the structure herein illustrated, the filling ll consists of plastic wood that is molded within the shell element lb before the two shell elements are united by means or a water-proof cement. The

so weight I. and'the bight portion o!v the wire on which it is mounted, are embedded in the filling, as showmand by thus securing the weighted min of the wire I within the substance of the fllling II, the body I is secured against rotation to upon the wire, which rotation would'tend to crevided it the pointed end 0! the shell, and it will be noted that suchpointedend or the shell and II ate openings through which leakage of water into the body I wouldoccur. The flexible leg members I are at their inner ends Ia anchored in the body of the mling,'said ends or the leg members being turned downward upon the inner suriace of 'entlreiy embedded in the filling llb with Fig. 4 llustrates that. if desired, the'wire element to within the'body 2 m e weight a 01' lead simpl clenched upon the body of the wire Fi the bait as it is drawn through the water when trolling. The mass of the structure described is such that the bait will travel at the suriace of the water, with only the pointed end or the body 1' extending above the water. However, it it be desired that the bait shall be entirely submerged, a sinker will be added to the fishing line I at a point adjacent to the bait, and, by selection of the size oi sinker used, the depth 'at which the a sea 4 illustrate the inclined position or bait will travel in the water may be established. A

It is contemplated that the shell elements is and 2b, oi which the body I oi the bait is made, 35

2 assaooo theshsilelementbeiosetheplasticfillingmateflonlaretobereoogniasdwithmthetermsoi rlalisshapedandsolidifiedthereimhoththe theappendedclaims. weighteandtheplasticwoodaddweighttothe Iclaimasmyinvention: I lowss-halioithebaitsothatthewhitesideotthe 1.An artificialfishbait comprising a hollow bsitalwarsisunderwhenuiebsitieaoaung." bodyiormedottwoshellelementsunitededge and the-angle oi fioat. buoyancy and weight can to edge. one shell element including a mass-inbe controlled by the amount of plastic wood in creasing filling, a wabbler or flexible material thebodlnthesiseoi theweightnnd thesiseoi embedded and securedatoneendinsaid nlling the air pocket. and extending outward from the assembled shell The edge of the lower shell element to is W elements, with the filling material overlapped notched to receive the portions oi the leg memupon the meeting edges or the shell elements bebers 1 and wire element 8 that in the assem tween which the wabbler extends, a fish-hook, bled structure lie between the meeti g edges of and means tor attaching afishingiine. thetwoshell elements. Thebodyotfillingmate- 2. An artificial fish bait comprising a hollow rial llisextended upwlrdJsat ilmtopover and 15 body formed 1' g 1 m, 9f unwed m .seal the notches through which said leg members ments,. at least one or said shell elements including a mass-increasing filling, a fish-hook, a stress-sustaining element having at one end means for attaching a fishing line and extendingirom such means through said hollow body and secured at its opposite end to said fish-hook, and two fiexible wabbler members anchored in said and extending outward from said body on opposite sides of the fish-hook. v

3. The structure or claim 2, wherein said hol- 131:1! body is formed or the two halves or a nut 4. The structure of claim 2, said stress-sustaining element comprising a metal wire including a weighted loop embedded in said filling and servin: to secure said hollow body and wire against relative rotation. I

5. An artificial fish bait comprising'a body formed oi the two halves of a nut shell, said halvesbeingunitededgetoedgqmdoneoithe shell halves including a mass for increasing the weight thereoi, means proyided'at one end of such body for the attachment oi a fishing line, a fishhook attachedat the opposite 'end or such body, and two members comprising strips or fiexible material anchored in said mas and extending outward between the united edges of the 'shell halves. one on each 'side oi said fish-hook, to iorm wabblers.

' ROBERT J. 

